Brassiere



Aug. 11, 1953 M. M. GIL NEE DAMBRUN BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 19, 1951 I/WHVTOR;

mxrsnm (pt: Mnmu) Patented Aug. 11, 1953 aassntim Marie Marguerite Gil ne Dambrun, Amsterdam, Netherlands Application J uly19, 1951, Serial No. 237,591

In France July 29, 1950- This invention relates to brassieres or bust bodices for ladies wear, which, as is known, are intended, by the combined action of shoulder straps and a usually elastic link connecting, at the Wearers back, lateral extensions from breast pockets, to oppose tendency of the breasts to sa laterally and downwardly.

It is found that the greater the tension of the link connecting the lateral extensions, the greater the tendency which brassieres of the usual form have to flatten the breasts, and this is particularly undesirable. Moreover, this tension of the back link tends to conceal the natural hollow between the breasts so that they appear as a single, unattractive shape. Finally, most existing brassires are only partially successful in overcoming the tendencyto lateral sagging of the breasts.

The principal object of the present invention is to improve the efiiciency of brassieres in supporting and maintaining the natural hollow between the breasts.

The invention is applied to a brassiere, of a known kind, including two breast caps of flexible material, joined together at their inner edges over a width substantially less than the base diameter of the caps, and a frontal elastic member extending between and attached to the lower borders of the caps, the elastic member being adapted to be in tension when the brassiere is in place, and, according to the invention, there is provided in each cap, in combination with the above features, a reinforcement of inextensible fabric having the shape substantially of half a frustum of a cone and covering the inside surface of the outer part of the respective cap, the arcuate inner edge of each reinforcement extending concavely from the middle of the upper border of the respective cap to the middle of the lower border thereof and defining a contour at substantially half breast-height, the reinforcement thus being adapted to espouse and support the outer curve of the breast from the base up to substantially half-way to the point of the breast.

The above features combined in a brassiere tend to accentuate the points of the breasts while preserving the hollow between them and opposing the tendency to lateral and downward sagging thereof.

The brassiere of the invention is otherwise of conventional construction, having lateral extensions from the breast caps to pass around to the back of the wearer and there be linked together, preferably by an elastic and adjustable link, and having a pair of shoulder straps as usual each 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-42) connected at the front end to the middle of the upper border of the respective cap and at the rear end to the respective extension near the end thereof.

A further feature of the invention is that the reinforcement is secured to each cap by an undulating or zig-zag line of stitching running from one end to the other alternately between the inner edge of the reinforcement and the region of the base of the cap. This arrangement avoids the constriction of the breast and the consequent interruption of the smoothness of the curve which a reinforcement stitched along its edge always causes.

The reinforcement preferably consists of a piece of sparterie or tailors linen between two similarly shaped pieces of woven fabric.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, on the accompanying drawings, in which 1' Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation showing part of a brassiere according to the invention in position of'use.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II--II of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 show in elevation, from the outside and inside respectively, one example of a brassiere according to the invention.

Fig. 5 is a section on a larger scale along the line VV of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 shows in outside elevation a modified form of brassire.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, B1 and B2 show very diagrammatically the two caps of a brassiere, fitting over the breasts S1 and S2, and joined together at their inner edges over a width much less than the diameter of the bases and preferably equal to half thereof. In and b2 indicate respectively the front pointof attachment of the shoulder strap to the respective cap and di and d2 the middle of the lower part of each cap.

In accordance with the invention, the lower parts of the caps B1, B2 are connected by an elastic band L attached close to the positions d1, (Z2 and of such length that it is in tension when the brassire is on the chest and exerts pull in the directions of the arrows f1 and f2.

The inside of each cap is provided with a reinforcement R1, R2 of inextensible fabric, hatched in Fig. 1, which assumes the shape substantially of half a frustum of a cone, its base extending between the front point of attachment of the shoulder strap b1, In to the middle d1, d2 of the lower part of the cap.

It will be understood that this reinforcement, for example R1, held up at hr by the shoulder Figs. 3 and 4 show in detail an embodiment of the brassiere of which the principle has been explained.

The caps B1, B2 of flexible material, such as woven fabric for example, are shapedby su-bstantially straight line, horizontal, cut idarts 411, pg and two slightly incurved cut darts p1 p2 The adjacent edges of the caps are joined by a seam the length of which is equal to about half the diameter of the base of the caps. The elastic band interconnecting the lower parts of the caps contained in a tubularcoverE accordion pleated so as not to restrict extensibility.

The inside surface of each capBi, B2 is made in one with -a reinforcement R1, R2 consisting for example (see Fig. 5) of a layer-t of tailors linen or sparterie between two layers s of satin of-the same dimensions.

The reinforcement, which is bound along g1 and g2, is-secured in the cap at one side by a row of stitching h1, h2 along the joining line of each cap with its lateral extension and along its inner border by a star outline of stitching ii, in which runs alternately to and from the inner edge of the reinforcement which is about halfway up the cap.

The modified form of brassire shown on a smaller scale :by Fig. 6 differs from that above described in that the narrow elastic band L is replaced by a panel of elastic fabric T which is stitched to the lower edges of the caps and to downward'portions of the lateral extensions 'of the brassire, the width of the extensions being increased for this purpose. This panel of elastic fabric must in all cases be absolutely sepa- 4 rate from the junction or middle part of the brassiere joining the two caps.

I claim:

1. In a brassiere including two breast caps of flexible material, joined together at their inner edges over a width substantially less than the base diameter of said caps, and a frontal elastic member extending between and attached to the lower borders of said caps, said elastic member being adapted to be in tension when the .brassiere is in place, the combination in each said cap of a reinforcement of inextensible fabric having the shape substantially of half a frustum of a cone and covering the inside surface of the outer part of the respective cap, the arcuate inner edge of each said reinforcement extending concavely from the middle of the upper border of the respective cap to the middle of the lower border thereof and defining a, contour at substantially half breast-height, each said reinforcement thus being adapted to espouse and support the outer curve of the breast from the base up to substantially half-way to the point of the breast.

2. A brassiere according to claim 1, in which each said reinforcement is secured in the respective cap by stitching extending to and fro across said reinforcement and defining a 'zigzag line from the upper border to the lower border of the respective cap, the angles of said zig-zag line being located alternately at said inner edge of said reinforcement and towards the outer edge thereof in the region of the base of the respective cap.

MARIE MARGUERITE GIL new: DAMBRUN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,882,023 Malnick Oct. 11, 1932 1,997,995 Bowen Apr. 16, 1935 2,132,128 Rasch Oct. 4, 1938 2,460,715 Schoebel Feb. 1, 1949 2,462,295 Wittenberg Feb. 22, 1949 2,482,255 Florsheim Sept. 20, 1949 2,586,267 Schaumer Feb. 19, 1952 

